Let It Hurt
by amandalynwood
Summary: Dean receives a panicked phone call from Ben. What will he and Sam find when they get there. In addition to listed characters two OCs, eventually Cas, and Crowley and maybe more.
1. Chapter 1

**Let it Hurt**

_7:42 in the morning, _

_8 seconds before it all sinks in  
Put your best face on for the world  
Fake another smile and just pretend_

_But you're just putting off the pain  
Nothing's ever really gonna change_

_So let it hurt…Let it bleed  
Let it take you right down to your knees  
Let it burn to the worst degree  
May not be what you want_

_but it's what you need_

_Sometimes the only way around it  
Is to let love do its work  
And let it hurt  
Yeah, let it hurt_

Excerpted lyrics from "Let it Hurt" by Rascal Flatts.

* * *

**CHAPTER ONE**

**"THE CALL"**

Same old, same old.

Another typically seed motel.

He was doing his weekly check though all the cell phones he traveled with. He didn't get many messages on this phone.

Dean stared at the phone…. HER name on the missed call.… it was dated three days ago..

_**Lisa…. **_

He was thoroughly unprepared for the waves of guilt and longing that crashed through him. He pushed the button for his voice mail. Entered the password upon request.

He found himself anticipating the sound of her voice. It had been almost two and a half years. He hit play on the message.

However it was not her voice on the other end. The male voice was young… yet older than he remembered, a teenager, and the owner of the voice was scared.

'_Dean, this is Ben, we need you. Please come right away' _No more than five seconds.

No more than five seconds and his world had been turned upside down. Abrupt fear raced through him. He closed his voice mail and with shaking hands pressed send to call them back.

No answer, straight to voice mail and her voice. _'This is Lisa, sorry I am unable to take your call, please leave me your name and number and I will get back to you as soon as I can.'_

It was not a good sign. He sprang into action. Shoving his things into his bag; grabbing the keys for the Impala from the night stand.

He dashed for the door, yanking it open and crashing into his brother, nearly bowling him over.

"Whoa, Dean!" Sam asked, grabbing Dean's shoulders to steady them both, "Where's the fire?'

"I have to go, right now." He met his brother's questioning gaze. "It's Lisa and Ben. They need me; the call was three days ago, I hope I'm not too late."

Sam noted his brother's desperation, his own reaction without a second thought. "I'm with you, Dean. Tell me what you know."

"Nothing much… the voice mail was from Ben sent on Lisa's phone. But the kid sounds terrified."

With the same sense of urgency, Sam collected his stuff and in less than ten minutes the Winchester brothers were checked out, the Impala had a full tank and they were speeding down the road to Lisa and Ben.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

**On the Road**

The road slipped by beneath the wheels of the Impala in relative silence. Dean wasn't talking and Sam wasn't going to push the issue, and certainly no one was in the mood for music.

Sam knew deep in his heart what this was doing to his brother. He just knew that aside from himself there was no one that meant more to Dean than Lisa and Ben.

Lisa and Ben… yes, those were the thoughts foremost in Dean's head as well. They had been his family, his home for a full year. And He knew it had taken a lot of love for Lisa to let him go the way she had. She had promised to be there whenever he wanted to come back. And he'd convinced himself that staying away was what was best for them.

And now this… **what could be after them now? And was he going to be too late?**

Images flashed through his mind.

_Lisa's smile… The firm softness of her body beneath his. _

_The welcome comfort in her arms when he came to her grieving after Sam had fallen into hell. _

_Waking up each morning with her curled up against him. _

_Her unflagging devotion to him and her son._

_Ben… working together on the truck… making a mother's day breakfast for Lisa together._

_An everyday normal life. _

The minutes and miles moved along until early afternoon when they stopped to refuel the Impala. Sam got out of the car, on the pretext of stretching his legs. Dean went inside to use the facilities and grab some food. He claimed it was so Sam would not forget the pie.

Sam knew otherwise... Dean was trying to keep his mind busy so that he could contain his worry and the sense of helplessness. They should be there before nightfall and it sure would have helped matters to know what they were going to find when they got there.

To that end Sam had managed to snag the phone Dean had received the call on and he hoped Dean's business inside allowed him time. He went around to the driver's side of the Impala, putting himself out of direct line of sight of the door of the small convenience store. He skimmed the contacts, selected Lisa's number and pressed SEND

Once again it went straight to Voice mail. Only unlike Dean he left a brief message "Lisa, or Ben, this is Sam, if you get this message just know that Dean and I are on our way, We should be there in a few hours."

Double damn. Sam knew the mountain of guilt that would lie at Dean's feet if it turned out to be something in the supernatural realm. The loss of their mother had turned their dad into a vengeful obsessed hunter. When Jessica died he had been devastated and he would do anything to spare his brother that kind of anguish.

"You about ready to go?" Dean called, coming out the door with three bags of junk food and bottled water. Oh yeah-and pie.

"Yeah" Sam replied, stuffing the cell phone deep in the pocket of his jacket before Dean could see it. 'You've been driving for the last eighteen hours. How about letting me take this next leg? You could really use some sleep."

To his surprise Dean didn't argue. "Okay, I need to be sharp when we get there."

For Sam the next few hours were pretty uneventful.

Dean's sleep on the other hand was plagued with disturbing nightmarish images. His subconscious running rampantly out of control. A vivid alternate replaying of a little boy's memory of his mother's death, and the hallucinations of a yellow-eyed demon, killing Lisa and poisoning Ben like he'd done Sammy. Again and again, Lisa's face, her voice and eyes accusing him through blood and flames. _'Dean, you did this to me.'_

"NO!" he cried out, jerking awake, in a cold sweat, his heart pounding.

Sam eased off on the accelerator, looking with concern at his brother. "Dean? You okay?"

Dean took a couple of deep breaths to calm himself. His response to Sam's question was a question of his own. "How much farther to Cicero?"

"About an hour"

"Then step on it, Sammy. Time is wasting and we are burning daylight."

With a new surge of speed, the Impala practically flew over the pavement.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Cicero, Indiana

It was nearing dusk as they turned onto the street where Lisa's house was. The neighborhood looked pretty much the same, although the yard did need some work.

And someone else clearly lived in the house next door where his friend Sid and his wife had died before they had defeated those Jinn, with his grandfather Campbell and several Campbell cousins.

With Sam by his side Dean rapped on the front door, calling their names loudly. "Lisa, Ben—it's me—Dean, and Sam is here too."

A couple of minutes passed and the only thing forthcoming from the house was silence.

Dean looked at his brother. "I'll take the back door; you take the garage." The brothers moved off in opposite directions; Sam crossing the sidewalk to the garage, and Dean taking the path to the rear of the house. Scattered thoughts surfaced; pleasant memories of good times past. He walked up the steps to the rear door.

A pane of glass was missing right above the door handle and the scattered shards lay on the ground. He tried the door and it swung inward. He was about to step inside when he heard an unfamiliar voice.

"Stop right there."

Dean turned, the man was not familiar but he was speaking over the fence belonging to the yard next door. The back yard that that used to belong to his friend Sid.

Before Dean could reply, Sam's voice preceded his body as he came around the corner of the house, "Nothing unusual in the garage…except that there;s no car in th-..,' his voice trailing off as he noticed they were not alone.

The man spoke accusingly, "Who the hell are you?"

Dean replied, his tone defensive, "I am Dean Winchester and this my brother Sam. We know the Braedens."

"So that gives you the right to come snooping around their house?" The man was clearly suspicious.

Sam tried to soothe the situation, the man clearly acting protectively like almost any concerned neighbor. "We were invited."

Dean took over, "Ben sent me a very frightened message …Begging me to come. Has there been anything unusual happening around here lately?"

Sam cleared his throat, giving Dean a quelling look. He was jumping straight into supernatural conclusions and Sam didn't think that was the case here—at least not yet. "Do you know what's up with the back door glass being broken? "

"Yeah someone broke in. I thought you two might be them coming back."

Dean's voice cracked, once again overwhelmed by panic. "Do you know where they are?"

"Probably at the hospital"

Instant and overwhelming panic was in Dean's voice, "Which one?"

"Mercy General" the man replied.

Dean, unwilling to continue the conversation beyond a simple "Thank you" , turned on his heel and took off in a dead sprint.

Sam was ahead of him in reaching the Impala and since he still had the keys the car's engine roared to life even as Dean dropped into the seat in shotgun position.

Other circumstances might have resulted in a squabble but Dean was not going waste precious time to argue over his brother driving. Especially since Sammy would have a valid argument about him being to rattled over current circumstances to drive.

They could be there in twenty minutes.


	4. Chapter 4

Let it Hurt

Chapter Four

Sam made a sharp right turn and pulled up to the hospital front entrance. Dean was out of the Impala by the time the vehicle reached a full stop, practically sprinting for the door. Sam pulled away to park the car.

By the time Sam entered, Dean was at the front desk requesting information about any patients named Braeden. Sam joined his brother at the receptionist desk.

"Are you immediate family, sir?" The elderly woman manning the desk asked.

"Kinda," Dean lied, "Well not exactly …," letting his truth win out. "But I received an urgent message saying they needed me right away. No other details and I have not been able to reach them by phone"

A feminine voice came from behind them. "Sam and Dean Winchester?"

The brothers turned to see a familiar face; her identity sinking in immediately to Dean. She was still a very attractive woman and she was a friend of Lisa's. "Danielle Taylor… "

Sam finally pieced it together and spoke, "You're Katie's mom." as the hunt came back to him. He and Dean had rescued Katie and Ben and several other children who had been kidnapped by changelings.

Dean spoke again, "How is Katie?"

"Doing well for a 13-year old, she had nightmares about everything for almost a year but they gradually faded." She laughed, "She's all about boys now."

Dean smiled, "If she's as pretty are her mom they don't stand a chance."

Danielle knew the guys were here about Lisa. Shortly after Dean had left Lisa behind, she and Lisa both being single mothers had become much closer. And she knew Lisa's secrets, and that those secrets were not her place to tell. That was for Lisa to tell. She let her smile fade.

"I know Ben contacted you, and Lisa got the message from you earlier. She didn't know anything about Ben calling you until she checked her voice mail this afternoon. She's been tied up with other things and couldn't call you back. She assumed-apparently rightly so since you are here-that if you were coming you would figure out where she was."

Dean nodded,"We spoke to the guy in Sid's house; he almost called the cops on us."

"I don't doubt it, Brad heads up the neighborhood watch."

Sam posed a question, "What about the break in?"

"That's what was so strange. The glass was broken and the door open, but from what we could tell nothing was taken." Danielle explained.

"I don't understand" Dean said, "Why would Ben panic over a break in?"

"He didn't call because of that."

"Then what?" Dean demanded.

"I'm not at liberty to explain, but I know who is. C'mon, I'll take you up to Lisa."

She led the way to the elevators, the brothers no closer to knowing what was going on. She pushed the up button and the doors to the elevator opened. Once the three of them were all inside Danielle pushed the button for the fourth floor. Sam and Dean could not help but notice Danielle's demeanor was becoming increasingly nervous.

The doors to the elevator opened and they were greeted by the sign on the opposite wall. Two arrows pointing in opposite directions… To the right was CICU, Cardiac Intensive Care, and to the left PICU, Pediatric Intensive Care.

"She's down here," Danielle said turning to the left as she stepped off the elevator. Dean's heart began to race in fear. _Something was wrong with Ben._

The Unit was security controlled meaning not just anyone could walk in. Danielle picked up the phone and waited for a staff member to respond. "Could you tell the Braedens that Dean and Sam are here."

There was a small waiting area to the left and the three of them stepped inside to wait. Sam had deduced the same conclusion Dean had, and when the doors opened and both Lisa and Ben stepped out—both of them appearing maybe tired, stressed possibly, but otherwise healthy—the brothers glanced at each other at a complete loss.

"Dean." There was a distinct tremor in Lisa's voice, and there wasn't a doubt in his mind that something had this woman he loved utterly terrified.

Before Dean could respond he found his arms full of a much taller Ben. "I knew you would come," the welcome in the boy's voice was undeniable, and there was little to do but hug him back.

"Hey buddy, don't forget about me" Ben pulled away from the only father figure he'd ever known to give an equally enthusiastic hug to Sam.

Over the top of Ben's head Sam met Lisa's nod of acknowledgement. Her distress was obvious. Sam understood that whatever was going on was big and that Lisa and Dean needed some privacy. "Hey Ben why don't you come with me down to the cafeteria, I'm starving, and I don't know where it is. Danielle, would you like to join us?"

Danielle glanced to Lisa who nodded for her to go with them. Dean still hadn't spoken. just taking in the sight of her and remembering all the dozens of months he'd spent waking up longing to feel her body against his, curled up around him, or spooning in the dark.

The pain in her face shook him to the core. He remained silent, waiting until he heard the ding of the elevator down the corridor and then the distinct sound of it moving downward."Lisa" he finally managed. "What the hell is going on?'

"Dean, I'm sorry." Tears shimmered in her eyes.

Dean closed the last few feet between them, his hands cupping her face, his thumbs swiping the tears aside."Shhh, whatever it is we'll figure it out."

He dropped his hands to pull her into his embrace. Instead of her tears subsiding, she broke into full blown sobs as he held onto to her, "That's it sweetheart, let it all out." He dropped a kiss onto her hair, relishing the fact that she was healthy and whole, so warm in his arms.

After a few minutes, Lisa regained control, and withdrew from Dean's embrace; she met his gaze and drew a steadying breath, taking Dean's hand, she led him to the door. With her other hand she picked up the phone. When necessary she gave the appropriate response. "Lisa Braeden. "

They were buzzed in, and as she led him down the corridor Dean again pressed for information, "What is going here?"

"In here," she replied, leading him into the second door on the right. Dean was shaken by what he saw, a hospital crib with a very young child in it. The toddler was semi-conscious. There were monitors and IVs and beeping. Lots of beeping…

"Lisa?" There was a hint of accusation in his tone, as an inkling of where this was leading hit him.

A mixed look of guilt and relief crossed her face to finally let the long kept secret out. "Dean, this is Mary Rose—your daughter."


	5. Chapter 5

**Let it Hurt**

**Chapter 5**

To say that Sam was as stunned by the turn of events as Dean was would be the mother of all understatements. Right now, Sam watched his brother from the entrance of the hospital's main lobby.

Earlier, down in the cafeteria, knowing that Lisa was upstairs telling Dean the truth, Danielle had filled him in, and it had taken a monumental effort not rush back upstairs to his brother's side.

There was a very sick little girl in the NICU and no matter that her last name was listed as Braeden, by blood she was a Winchester. She was his brother's child, his niece, and she bore their mother's name. For him and Dean as always, family meant EVERYTHING. So like it or not, Lisa was going to be stuck with them until this situation was resolved one way or another.

And he didn't know what would happen if things turned out the latter. His heart literally ached for what his brother must be feeling.

Dean sat on a stone bench outside the hospital, still stunned by Lisa's revelation. He stared up the night sky, watching the stars and letting his thoughts go wherever they willed. He was overwhelmed. His emotions were a jumbled mess. He wanted to be happy that he had a child, but instead he was beyond furious that she would be two years old soon and he'd not even known she existed. And now she might be dying.

He flashed back a few hours to that moment. The words still echoed through his consciousness. The words that changed his life—changed him forever.

_"Dean, this is Mary Rose—your daughter."_

_He moved closer to the crib, staring down at the little girl who was so very ill. She stirred restlessly when he lowered the crib rail, his hand then moving of its own accord to brush the dark hair back from her face; touching his child for the first time. A lump rose in his throat and he held his gaze firmly on his daughter, not even sparing a glance up to Lisa. "How old is she?"_

_"She'll be two years old in two months." Lisa saw the wheels turning in his head. "I swear it, Dean, she's yours."_

_He didn't doubt the paternity—just one look proved she was his. He saw his mother's features in her face. Her age indicated that Lisa probably hadn't known she was pregnant when he left. _

_His hand reached for his daughter's, gently caressing the soft skin, so very hot due to her fever. The tiny hand moved, Mary Rose's fingers closing around his index finger, clutching it tightly and his heart was lost to her forever. He didn't even attempt to stem the flow of tears that suddenly streamed down his cheeks. He turned to Lisa, swallowing hard, his tone accusing, "Why didn't you tell me?"_

_"When Dean?" She looked up at him with those luminous dark eyes."When would have been a convenient time to tell you? I know your sense of duty to family. What you do, who you are is important. I have done all right on my own raising Ben, raising our daughter was no different."_

_ "Our Daughter!?" Hurt and anger were now fully overtaking his shock. He'd been walking a tight wire of worry and fear for more than 24 hours, and was even more upset about what he now knew. His tone held little kindness, "When has she been mine? You made the choice to not let me know I had a child. You know how much you and Ben mean to me. You had to know how much I would love her." _

Dean was startled from his flashback by a hand closing on his shoulder. He didn't even have to turn around to know it was Sam.

"How are you holding up, Dean?" The concern in his voice was clear as Sam took a seat beside his brother.

"I don't know," Dean said with a sad half laugh, "lousy would be my best guess."

"Well, if it's any consolation I'm seriously as shocked as you are."

Dean swallowed, not wanting to surrender to his newest fear again. "What am I supposed to do here, Sammy? What if she dies? "

Sam shook his head. "That won't happen, Dean. You won't let it, she's your kid, and moreover, Mary Rose is a Winchester, and us Winchesters don't go down easily."

Dean met Sam's gaze evenly, "If I believed in him, I'd say from your mouth to God's ears."

Sam put his arm around his brother's shoulders, 'Well I guess I'll just have to have enough faith in him for both of us."


	6. Chapter 6

Let it Hurt 6

Lisa stared down at her daughter. _Dean's daughter._ She'd always been such a happy and healthy baby. Now she was so fragile and weak. Her thoughts drifted back to about an hour ago when she had dropped that bombshell on Dean. She had only seen him this upset once before, when he thought he'd lost Sam forever.

_The barely contained fury, the air of betrayal was unmistakable._ _"__Our daughter?' When has she been mine? You made the choice to not let me know I had a child. You know how much you and Ben mean to me. You had to know how much I would love her." He looked back down at his daughter. _

_"__Dean, I'm so, so sorry," she said placing a hand on his shoulder. "If I could go back I would do things things differently." _

_"__But you can't take it back it—can you?" He reached up to remove her hand, his gaze returning to hers. Tears stained his face, hurt and fear for their child's life in his eyes, and he swallowed hard, "I thought you loved me Lisa."_

_"__Dean I do, like I said I'm sorry."_

_"__Apology not accepted. Right now is too soon." He headed for the door. _

_"__Where are you going?"_

_"__Not far from her if that's what you're wondering. Just away from you, before I say something I might regret."_

She certainly couldn't blame Dean for being angry with her. She should have given him a choice in whether he was a part of Mary's life. She had never intended for it to be such a guarded secret, but the opportunity had never presented itself. How many times had she wanted to share those precious milestones with him? How many times had she almost called him? Overwhelmed by internal conflict; selecting his number again and again, but never finding the strength to press "send". Now what might have been a joyous occasion was just the opposite.

She guessed on some level that she was jealous of her own child; fearing that while she wasn't enough to keep him close by that their child might be. Even now, wondering if he would stay this time.

She swiped her fingertips across her cheek wiping away tears that were threatening to become a steady flow and turned at the opening of the door,addressing her visitor, "Sam?"

"Hello, Lisa. Mind if I meet my niece?"

"Of course not, you're her family."

Sam bit his tongue. Getting angry now was not going to help anything at all. There were enough raw nerves at the moment. The only thing important at this time was that she gets well.

Still, Lisa had kept Mary's existence a secret from him and Dean for more than two years. If not for Ben they might never have known. His brother was struggling to deal with this, a struggle he should never have had to experience. And it certainly would have been nice to know he still had family after Dean and Castiel had disappeared into Purgatory—that a piece of his brother was still in this world.

"So is it Mary Rose or just Mary?" he asked as he moved closer for a better look.

Sam was as instantly enamored of his niece as his brother was and like his brother had been, was unable to tear his eyes from the child. . The need to protect this child was overwhelming.

Lisa moved closer to stand beside him as she reached out to brush hair back from her daughter's forehead. "Just Mary—after your mother of course—and Rose after my great-aunt Rose who died when I was sixteen."

"Thanks for recognizing Mom. I think she would have been touched and I know our Dad would have approved. Dean will appreciate it too, more than you can know, once he gets his head wrapped around this situation. Do the doctors have any idea what's going on"

"They keep running test after test, and I hate the poking and prodding, all that blood work. They can't seem to figure anything out. So they just keep treating her symptoms."

"Eaxtly how long has she been ill like this?"

"A few days."

A cold chill of suspicion shot down Sam's spine.

"Before or after the break in."

"After."

For someone who had never seen what he and Dean had seen and experienced they would never even think to consider that the two events were related. The chance of something supernatural being involved just went from not likely to a distinct possibility. His delivery of the line was Dean-worthy. "SonofaBitch."

"What Sam? What does the break-in have to do with anything?"

"Maybe nothing…. Or it may be the key to everything."

"But they didn't take anything."

He looked down a Lisa, 'What if the purpose of the break-in was not to take something but leave something behind?

"Like what?"

"I don't know yet, we need to check out the house. I need to find Dean right away."

Lisa watched him go, not knowing whether to consider this new possibility with terror or hope.

Downstairs in the hospital cafeteria, Dean sat with Ben, catching up. Danielle had excused herself to make a phone call. There was a trace of proud excitement in the boy's tone, "and we were down by two runs and I hit a grand slam and we won the game."

Dean was proud for the kid. "Awesome, buddy, Honor roll must have made you mom real proud, and the coach must have been happy. Now, for the important stuff, how about girls?"

Ben flushed, glancing toward the door Danielle had gone out. "Uh…"

Dean was no fool; he could recognize evasion for what it was, so he went out on a limb, "Ah, Katie Taylor?"

The boy knew he'd been found out and there was no avoiding truth with Dean Winchester as the inquisitor. "Yeah, we've been friends for years, ever since—well you know."

Dean was about to answer, when Sam rushed in. "Dean, c'mon we've got a case to work."

Dean looked up at his brother like he'd grown two heads. "Are you freakin' kidding me?! We've been in Cicero for four hours, Sammy! How the hell did you—why the hell would you be looking for a case?"

"I didn't go looking for one, it found us and it's urgent."

"Sam, I can't work a case right now. I have a sick daughter here."

"I know that Dean. Mary Rose is the case."

"What?"

"C'mon, I'll explain on the way, we have to go to Lisa's house."

Ben piped in, "I'm coming too."

"You should stay here Ben." Dean insisted, as he stood up, grabbing his leather jacket from the back of the chair.

Ben stood up, the result of his most recent growth spurt making him only a few of inches shorter than Dean. "No way. You may be her dad, Dean, Sam's her uncle, but I'm her big brother. We are all a family here. Protecting my baby sister is my job too."

Sam smiled at the kid, he might not actually be a Winchester, but some of it must have rubbed off. "He's got you there Dean."

There was no point in arguing with both of them and if Sam's suspicion—whatever it was proved true, Ben and Lisa were going to have to take a crash course in hunting. "Alright, but text your Mom so she knows where you are."


	7. Chapter 7

**Supernatural Theory **

Dean pulled into the driveway and Ben climbed out of the backseat, and sprinted next door to let Brad know not to call the police on them. That it was alright for them to be there at anytime with or without him or his Mom.

The three of them entered through the back door, Dean insisting that Ben come in last. "Who besides you and your Mom have been here since Mary got sick?" he asked over his shoulder

"Just Danielle, she brought Mom some clean clothes. Mom hasn't left the hospital since we took Mary in. And even though I told Mom I'd be fine, she and Danielle agreed that I should stay at the Taylors till Mom could be at home with me."

Sam cast a glance from the boy to his brother. "With that window not repaired it's a good choice on your Mom's part."

"I'm not some little kid; I can take care of myself." Ben sputtered.

Dean and Sam knew all too well how easy taking care of yourself as a kid could be when it proved necessary. "I'm sure you can buddy, "Dean replied, 'But your Mom's got a heap of worry on her plate right now, no need to overload it. If staying with the Taylors puts her mind at ease, ya know."

"Okay," The 13 year old conceded, "but I really can take of myself. But if it helps mom I'll do it."

"Sammy," Dean cast a knowing glance at his brother, "you want to give Danielle a call, see about some extra safety measures."

"Sure." Sam glanced at the boy, "Ben. Do you have a phone number for the Taylors?"

Ben simply reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone and pulled up the number. "Here, just use my phone."

Sam stepped into the next room while Dean started an initial sweep of the kitchen.

"What kind of measures?" Ben asked his interest definitely piqued. 'You mean like those symbols you had under the rug at the front door when you lived with us."

"Yeah something like that?" Dean agreed, while investigating the first of many drawers and cabinets. "Just as a precaution, not just for you but for them too. You all have connections to us. And you guys have come face to face with our past before."

"Yeah, I remember when you saved me, Katie and those other kids from the changelings, and then those other things—what were they called—when you took Mom and me to your friend Bobby's."

"They were called Jinn. What else do you remember"

'Yeah, you guys left us a few weeks later, right before Mom's car accident."

It was not the answer Dean was expecting and despite his confusion he didn't let on. He had simply assumed that since Ben had called him few days ago that the memory wipe Castiel had done had somehow failed altogether; that both of them remembered everything. But Ben clearly didn't remember being kidnapped by Crowley or his mother's possession by a demon. He prayed that that was also the case with Lisa.

However this …. Would it be specific amnesia? Selective remembrance? Well, it certainly didn't seem likely without outside help. It would be a miracle of sorts for her not to remember such a dismal failure on his part.

_But who? _

Crowley would be the most likely suspect. But given their past relationship Dean didn't seem to think that the King of HELL would be cutting anyone any slack. The bastard was too smug; he'd want Lisa at the least to remember so that she'd hate him and Sam. Then it would make some sort of sense, her keeping Mary's existence a secret.

Dean was finished with the drawers, and ready to start on the above counter cupboards, when his gaze was drawn to the photos on the refrigerator. He stood dead still taking them all in, powerful emotions overwhelming him again.

The pictures of Ben and Lisa, some with him in them. It meant a lot to him that they were still there. There was even a picture of Sam. But those were not the pictures that caught and held his gaze like a magnet. Those were the pictures of Mary Rose, some alone and others with her mom and brother. Assorted pictures of the stages of a baby's life—so strong and healthy, and despite having Lisa's dark hair and eyes, otherwise her facial features were all Mary Campbell Winchester's.

"Dean. Dean?" Ben prompted. "Is there anything I can do?"

Dean pulled his gaze from the photos to Ben. "Yeah as we go room to room you look close and tell me if you see anything different. If anything is missing or out of place, or something you've never seen before. No matter how unimportant you might think it is."

"Got it."

Dean went back to the task at hand and made quick work of the meticulously well-kept cupboards, instructing Ben to clean up the broken glass from the shattered window.

In just minutes the sweep of the kitchen was completed and the broken glass in the garbage.

As they stepped into the living room they could hear Sam finishing up the call. "Yeah we should be there shortly Danielle. No more than an hour, I guess."

Sam glanced over to Ben and his brother. "Nothing in the kitchen, I take it."

Dean continued to put up a front to cover his frantic urge to find out what was behind his daughter's sudden illness. "Didn't expect there to be, but we were in there so why not?"

"Sure" Sam agreed, then glanced at Ben. "Heads up, buddy" and he gave the cell phone a toss.

Ben caught it easily.

"Well, what did you do?" Dean asked Sam pointedly.

"I told her we'd like to put up some basic safety measures and I volunteered to stay with them. That way you can join Lisa at the hospital."

Dean simply nodded, not about to air his differences with Lisa at this point, at least not in front of Ben. Ben was worried sick about his baby sister and the last thing the boy needed was to see the two of them at odds.

At this point Dean's gravest concern was finding out if something were going in this house. When things were settled with Mary Rose there would be plenty of time to hash out the rest of it. Right now there was some serious work to attend to. He cleared his throat, "Sam, you want to take this room, Ben and I are going start upstairs. Ben can you show me where Mary sleeps?"

* * *

Two blocks away, Danielle Taylor was busy prepping her other guest bedroom for her unexpected overnight guest. She had never really gotten over the changeling business, and given that Sam and his brother had brought Katie, Ben and the other children safely back home, well, there was no way to ever adequately express her gratitude. If something supernatural was again in their community she was more than happy to have his presence under her roof.

* * *

Sam watched as Ben and Dean trudged upstairs to search there. Then, with the meticulous precision of a practiced hunter he made quick work of the room. Nothing whatsoever. No traces of sulfur, no hex bags. If nothing like that were found upstairs then they could reasonably rule out witches and demons. Still the circumstances seemed familiar, but he couldn't quite place it.

He about to check the downstairs bathroom when he heard his brother bellow, _**"Sonofabitch"**_

Sam wasn't pleased, because the sheer volume and emotion in Dean's voice meant he'd found something and it was NOT good.


	8. Chapter 8

**chapter eight  
**

**Discovery and Dismay**

"_**Sonofabitch?!" **_

Sam took the stairs two at a time, half-way up them before Dean even called out for him. "Sammy!"

Sam hit the top of the stairs. "Where are you?"

"In here." Ben called out, popping his head around the doorframe of the room at the far end of the hallway.

It took mere seconds for Sam to come face to face with his brother. Fear was in Dean's eyes, and those eyes were about to overflow with sudden tears.

"What is it?" Sam commanded.

Dean swallowed hard. "Window."

Sam looked down at the window sill and suddenly comprehended Dean's utter distress, because the same fear was suddenly coursing through him as well. It was like something had just sucked all the air out of his lungs. "Oh shit!" he gasped.

"What?" Ben demanded, their reactions were triggering a wave of full-blown panic in the teenager. "What is it?"

Sam struggling to regain himself from the initial shock glancing over at his brother. At least it all made sense now. Dean was frozen where he stood, still trying to grasp the enormity of what they were dealing with.

Sam returned his gaze to Ben. "Bad news, really bad news."

"I don't understand."

"Good, because you really don't want to know." Sam stalled.

"Is it about my sister?" Ben was nothing if not persistent. "Is that why Dean looks so scared?"

It was crystal clear to Sam that Ben would not let this slide. He and Dean wouldn't have either at his age. Just like them he was going to protect his sibling no matter what. Sam again looked at his brother, this time with a question in his eyes. Looking for how he wanted this handled. "Dean?"

Dean nodded, taking a shuddering deep breath to gather himself, directing his answer to Ben "Yeah, buddy. This thing is about as bad as they come."

He was not about to tell Ben everything quite yet. He still had to digest the fact that the only way to save Mary Rose was to kill this thing, and that he had to find it first before he could kill it. And that the only way to kill it was most likely going to put Ben in harm's way. The only comforting fact Dean could manage to come up with calm to himself at all was that he'd killed one before.

"So let's get it, kill it or whatever you have to do!" Ben exclaimed franticly.

"It's not that simple Ben."

"What is it?"

Dean was about to reply when his cell phone went off. He extracted it from his pocket glancing at the screen. It was Lisa. Under any other circumstances he would have ignored the call. But these circumstances were anything but ordinary. He put the phone to his ear, "Yeah?"

"Come right away, she's getting worse."

Dean cast a worried glance at Sam and Ben, "I'm on my way."

He pocketed his phone and was halfway across the room before Sam could speak. "Dean?"

He looked at Sam. "You know what to do, take Ben with you to Danielle's and see if you can find a local pattern. See what you can do about what we are going to need. No matter what else happens this thing dies."

"Of course, Dean, I'm on it."

"And you and Danielle don't let either one of those kids out of your sight."

"Dean, just go already. I got this."

In no more than a minute, Sam and Ben heard the roar of the Impala's engine and the screech of tires as Dean peeled out of the driveway.

* * *

Dean made what should have been a 20 minute drive in less than 15 minutes. He sprinted across the parking lot and was out of breath waiting for elevator to the PICU. He fidgeted as the elevator despite his previous rush was determined to keep its own pace. "C'mon, c'mon," he muttered impatiently.

He didn't exactly run to the phone at the end of the corridor. It was probably more along the lines of speed walking and Lisa had clearly let them know he was coming because they buzzed him right in as soon as he announced himself.

He came to a dead standstill in the doorway to Mary's room, taken by the sight in front of him. Lisa, her head buried on her arms one hand outstretched holding onto to their daughter's tiny hand and her shoulders shaking as she sobbed.

Accusation, frustration and anger had no place here. Not right now. He knocked gently on the door frame. "Lisa?" She raised her head as he stepped into the room, extending his arms in invitation.

She was on her feet and into his arms in no more than an instant, soaking his shirt with her tears as she sobbed against his chest. For second time that day she was crying in his arms and for the second time today he savored the feel of her, he rubbed his hand up and down her back to try and calm her. Taking his own comfort in her warmth.

* * *

Across town Sam and Ben knocked on Danielle's front door, armed only with the gun Sam always kept on him and a backpack that held Ben's laptop. They had walked the two blocks to the Taylor home. Danielle looked surprised to see only the two of them and no car.

"Where's Dean?" she asked.

"Should be at the hospital by now. Lisa called about Mary Rose." Sam explained.

"And he couldn't take the time to drop you off?"

"Sounded kind of urgent."

"Oh, dear. I was so hoping she would have shown some improvement." Her tone was troubled and she then stated the obvious, "So, the two of you walked?"

Sam smiled, "Yeah, the fresh air works wonders."

A voice came from behind Danielle. "Mom?"

"Katie… you remember Sam Winchester don't you? Sam, you and Ben come on in."

Danielle turned her attention to her daughter. "And you wanted me for what?"

"Brittany wants me to come for a sleepover tonight. Can I go?"

Before she could answer, Sam spoke, "That's not a good idea."

Danielle gave him a questioning look. "How is this your business?"

Sam gave her a pointed look, "You and I need to talk privately." Then he cast a glance back to Katie. "There's a situation and for a few days it might be best if you stay home at night."

Danielle picked her cell phone up from the small table in the entryway and selected a speed dial, "Okay, kids what do you want on your pizza?"

"But Mom…" Katie whined. "Why does he get to say whether I can go somewhere or not?"

"Because he saved your life once, and if he says it's not safe out there you aren't going anywhere. Period." Without missing a beat she looked to Ben. "Your Pizza?"

"Everything," Ben exclaimed.

"And what about you Sam?"

"I'll share with Ben."

* * *

Even as Dean held Lisa close he couldn't keep his gaze from straying to Mary Rose. Aside from the rise and fall of her breathing she was still. Her color seem to have faded in the time he'd been gone to Braeden house. He didn't have to be a genius to know that they were running out of time. Precious minutes that were ticking away second by second.

Tears slid down his cheeks as Lisa's sobs slowed and she pulled back to look up at him, she reached to swipe the dampness from his face. "I love her so much, Dean," she whispered up to him. "She's my little piece of you. I can't lose her."

"You're not going to lose her. Sam was right, we did find something, and we will find this thing."

"But what if you don't find it in time?"

Dean had not wanted to even consider that possibility. Desperate times called for desperate measures. "Come with me, Lisa."

"But, what about Mary…" she said hesitantly.

"Call a nurse to stay with her. I promise we won't be long."

Within five minutes they were in the hospital chapel. As Dean went on bended knee, Lisa stared at him in amazement. "Since when do you pray?"

"I'm not praying to God, but someone I believe in."

He held his head high, let the tears flow again as he beseeched a higher power. "Cas—buddy if you have your ears on, I've never needed your help more than I do right now."

Lisa could swear she heard the flutter of wings, and nearly fainted when the trench-coated being materialized in front of them.

Dean stood, looking from his woman to his best friend. "Cas, this is Lisa. Lisa this is Castiel, he's an angel—and he's family."


	9. Chapter 9

**RESEARCH**

Katie and Ben sat in the family room of the Taylor house, watching TV while devouring pizza. At the same time Sam and Danielle were keeping a watchful eye from the dining room. Sam was not about to disregard Dean's directive to keep them in sight. He'd been on the receiving of one those creatures before. Not once, but twice.

Katie would cast an occasional glare toward them—or to be more specific, Sam—clearly still fuming about missing her sleepover. Sam, on the other hand, was worried about her friends as well. This thing could choose any one.

He knew Dean was worried that it would come after Ben next. Ben's laptop lay on the dining room table, open and in use by Sam, doing a web search for any other instance they could contribute to the problem at hand.

Danielle's face flushed. "So sorry, Sam… my apologies for Katie's rudeness."

"It's okay," he smiled. "I was thirteen once."

"So now that we have them settled, what was this private talk we need to have."

"It's about Mary Rose and the reason I didn't want you to let Katie go out. There's a reason that the doctors haven't been able to find anything wrong with my niece." He noted to himself how easily her relation to him slid from his tongue. "Her condition isn't being caused by anything medical. It's being caused by a supernatural being called a Shtriga."

"A what?"

"It's a kind of vampiric Albanian witch that feeds off of a person's life forces at night, and although it will feed off of an adult if necessary, they primarily feed off of kids, draining their life forces from them."

A look of sheer horror crossed Danielle's face. "And you and Dean think one those things came after that sweet little girl?"

"Yeah," Sam replied, the thought that he might never know exactly how sweet that little girl was actually filling his mind for a moment.

"What makes you so sure it's one of those?"

Sam managed to force himself to consider the question at hand, instead of the deteriorating condition of his brother's child.

He met Danielle's gaze directly. "They are also shape-shifters, passing themselves off as human during the daytime, fairly innocuous in that form, but in their true forms they can leave evidence behind. This time the evidence is pretty much incontrovertible. There were two gnarled decaying handprints on the outside window ledge, which means it came in through the window to attack Mary Rose."

Danielle visibly shivered, "You can stop this thing can't you?" Vivid images of the horrors she herself experienced flashed in lightning fast succession in her head.

"Yes, Dean and I know how to take care of it. If we didn't I wouldn't be standing here."

"So, if you've faced one before, why aren't you out there looking for it?" Sam hated what he was about to tell her, she was already upset, but sugar coating the situation did no one any good.

"Because we fully expect it to come to us. And if it comes to us like we expect then we can be ready for it. The most difficult part is to know where to find and the only time it is vulnerable is while it's feeding."

"But how can you possibly know where it's going to be?"

"Because Shtrigas usually go after all the kids in one family before they move on. So we are pretty sure it is going to come after Ben next."

Her gaze darted to the kids in the other room, and then back up at Sam. When the changelings had taken Ben, they had also taken Katie. The memories of the failed attempts to save herself from the monster that so exactly looked like but did not act like her daughter at all. The changelings were feeding on her and several other moms in the neighborhood. The images and the horrifying emotions wrought by the changeling that had replaced her daughter, and the terror she had felt hiding in her own bathroom overwhelmed her.

Danielle's tone became distressed, the pitch of her voice higher, as she came to her feet almost shouting. "And you brought him and that risk here?"

Sam came to his feet grabbing her by the shoulders, speaking in a hushed calm tone, "The kids are looking. This is not a good time to fall apart."

Danielle managed a nod, and he continued speaking, Sam wasust as composed as Danielle was shaken. She was literally trembling beneath his hands, "Just take a deep breath and let it go."

She did as instructed, a few breaths later she nodded having regained a modicum of control. "I'm Okay"

"Good," Sam said, attempting further reassurance. "And I swear nothing's going to happen to the kids. Not on my watch—or Dean's." He pointed at the laptop on the table as he retook his seat. "That's what I'm doing now. I'm checking for a pattern of behavior."

"Like what?" she asked as she moved to stand behind Sam and stare down at the computer screen. She watched in amazement as his fingers flew across the keyboard and one by one confidential pediatric records for all the hospitals in the immediate area popped up. Her tone was curious not accusing, "How'd you do that?"

Sam gave a half-chuckle while he perused the screen in front of him, "Years of practice and exposure to a couple of computer geniuses willing to teach me all their tricks."

"Have you found anything?"

Sam glanced back up at her, "Maybe, there's a similar case at St. Luke's," Sam pointed to the entry on the screen, "the girl was admitted two days before Mary Rose got sick and she's in a coma, but she's much older so it's not surprising that her body's not deteriorating as fast."

Then he clicked on another tab. "And then there's a pair of siblings, five year old twin boys, in fact, admitted less than 24 hours apart at the Children's Hospital, and the medical history and list of their symptoms are practically identical to Mary Rose."

Danielle's hand came to rest on Sam's shoulder as she leaned down to better look at the information on the screen, "But I thought you said it would come after Ben next."

"True, but Ben has been either here with you or at the hospital with Lisa. Am I correct?"

"Yeah." She knew he was making conversation to try and diffuse her fear.

"Well my best guess is that since Ben was not where the Shtriga expected him to be it to moved on."

"In other words, he was no longer an easy target."

"Yeah, and if helps put you at ease, I don't think Katie would be a likely target her being an only child, but still it's not worth taking the risk

"So I suppose it's going to be an adult-teenager sleepover in the family room tonight." Danielle tried to sound calm.

"I believe that would be best." Sam agreed. "Given how strong the last one was I don't really want to take one on by myself. It took both Dean and I last time."

"Oh," She smiled at him weakly, trying to make light of it, "And here I thought you were this great hunter. The White Knight charging in to save the day and all that stuff."

Sam appreciated how hard she was trying not to lose her calm again, and turned in his seat and grinned up at her. "Actually I'm here to save the night."

Then his expression went back to no nonsense. "Truthfully, as long as you and I and the kids are together in the same room I don't think there's any worry here. And once the sun comes up in the morning we have nothing to worry about until it gets dark again."

"Safety in numbers and avoiding the monsters under the beds and in closets? Things that climb through second story windows?"

"Yeah," Sam gave her a full blown smile. "Something like that. And you are one of the most courageous damsels in distress I have ever encountered."

"Right." She replied, if they weren't in such a serious situation right now she would swear that somewhere in his words of reassurance that if she was reading between the lines correctly Sam Winchester was all out flirting with her. "Togetherness is the key." She turned calling to the kids. "Katie! Ben! Upstairs with us. Get your pillows and blankets and bring them back down here."

The kids started to grumble and she put out her best insistent mom voice. "Now." They stopped, getting up albeit rather lazily.

She and Sam were right behind them going up the stairs. Half-ways up Sam spoke in a loud whisper to Danielle. "Way to go Mom."


	10. Chapter 10

**CHAPTER 10**

**More Revelations**

Lisa looked from Dean to Castiel like they'd both grown two heads. Her lower jaw was dropped ever so slightly in awe of Dean's pronouncement. "Angel?" she stammered.

Dean exhaled a half-chuckle at Lisa's befuddlement. "Yes, Cas is an angel."

"But… but …" she stammered, "he doesn't have wings…"

As usual Castiel spoke as calmly as one reading a telephone book. "Rest assured Lisa Braeden—I have wings but none you can see while I occupy this vessel."

"Vessel?" she questioned, her gaze moving from Castiel to Dean, who seemed suddenly uncomfortable this turn of conversation.

"Cas…" Dean said with a warning tone.

The angel's piercing blue gaze met with Dean's gaze with a raised brow, "Why are you concerned about my explanation? I have as you would call it "Kept Tabs" on Lisa and the young ones although neither she nor you knew of it."

Dean's eyes widened at the implication of Castiel's statement. "Hold on, are you telling me you knew about Mary Rose and never told me!"

Castiel at that point had the decency to look somewhat embarrassed, like a kid with his hand in the cookie jar so to speak. "Given what we were facing I didn't feel that the revelation of that fact was my place."

The expletive slipped easily from the hunter's mouth. His hand clenching into tightly balled fists as he stepped closer to the angel. "Sonofabitch."

Castiel wasn't stupid—he'd witnessed the older Winchester's fury more often than he would have liked, and he tried to calm Dean's fury with further explanation. "You were attempting a clean break, and the knowledge would have only caused you more agony over your choices. I have kept a watchful eye over them all. "

Serious levels of outrage were boiling throughout Dean's body, and pure anger filled his accusing tone, his hands grabbing fistfuls of Castiel's trench coat, getting right up in the angel's face. "Not watchful enough!"

The only thing that kept Dean from doing considerable bodily harm to Castiel's vessel was Lisa's soft touch to his forearm. "Dean stop. I know you're upset, but you asked him to come here. If you can't do it for me do it for our daughter."

Dean relaxed his grip but did not release Castiel altogether, his anger dissipating to desperation. "Please, Cas, please tell me there's something you can do for her!"

"Of course Dean, if you would show me to the child."

"This way…" Lisa said in a relatively calm voice, (all things considered.)

Dean released Castiel and they followed Lisa back to Mary Rose's room.

Castiel stared down at Mary Rose, "What do the physicians say?"

Lisa spoke, "They have tried everything—they can't seem to find a cause."

Dean interjected, "Sam and I have reason to believe it is the result of a Shtriga. There were decaying claw marks outside her window."

"I see." Castiel said, a deep frown on his face. "I cannot cure her. It is not just her life force, but part of her soul that has been taken. However, I can restore her physical deficiencies, but to restore her from her comatose state will require restoration of what was taken and you are fully aware of what is necessary to kill a Shtriga."

"I know we have to find and kill it." Dean said, "Mary Rose or not, it has to be stopped. Sammy is supposed to be researching to see if there are other cases like this." Tears brimmed in his eyes. "Cas, do you think you could…"

The angel interrupted, "of course Dean, I can halt the physical deterioration of any of the others, but you must move quickly, at such a young age the soul and body cannot be separated for indeterminate lengths of time."

Dean nodded, "That would make sense. I know that on the last case it was about three weeks from the time of attack until death occurred, and that was about three days before we killed the damned ugly bastard. Thankfully, there was only one fatality among the dozen or so kids involved."

Castiel stepped closer to the small girl laying so quiet and still, his hand gently cupping the top of her head. There was a soft yellow glow that engulfed the child's body, and he stepped back, lifting his hand.

Dean wasn't sure what he'd expected, she remained so still, but the monitors attached to her body began to show improved readings. Her breathing seemed less labored and a hint of color returned to her cheeks.

Lisa was even more impressed by the change in her little girl, dragging her eyes from her daughter, Lisa turned her gaze to Castiel, "Thank you," then moved past the hunter and the angel to her daughter's side. "See baby girl, everything's gonna be alright, your daddy is gonna make sure of it."

Dean took advantage of Lisa's preoccupation with their daughter to grab Castiel's upper arm and steer him back out of the room. There was a visitor's lounge that was unoccupied and he none to gently shoved the angel inside. "We need to talk."

Castiel's tone was earnest, "What do you not understand Dean?"

"I understand plenty," Dean snarled, "You have a lot of explaining to do." He closed the door to the room.

"About what?"

"Cas—don't play innocent with me. How can you call yourself my friend and keep something this big from me?"

"Ah, your daughter…" the angel nodded knowingly.

"How long did you know?" Dean demanded.

"Since the hospital when I healed Lisa."

Dean digested that fact, running his hand back across his neck, "Before I had you wipe their memories of me?" Dean paced across the room and back again, trying to grasp what he was hearing. "And you didn't tell me?"

"Yes—and no." In response to the hunter's puzzled glare, Castiel continued. "Dean, you wanted to protect them, with that I agreed, but I didn't completely wipe the memories."

"Why not?" Anger at what he deemed as a betrayal by Castiel rising to the surface again.

"Not having any memories of you at all would have made Lisa's pregnancy very difficult to explain. Not to mention that I would have had to find and erase memories of anyone around her who knew you and Sam too. Otherwise, someone might have blown the whole thing.

"It was much easier to implant memories that worked with your departure. I made sure she didn't remember anything related to her possession and the kidnapping. Matthew's death was deemed the result of an unknown intruder and her hospitalization was the result of the auto accident you provided as the source of her injuries. And, of course, as far as she and Ben were concerned you had been gone several weeks."

Dean's anger diffused significantly with Castiel's explanation. "So she didn't know she was pregnant when I left?"

"I don't think so, Dean," Castiel replied, "It was still quite early in the pregnancy—toward the end of what you would call the first trimester when the possession occurred, yet there was little doubt for me that the little one she carried was a Winchester. As is young Benjamin."

For the second time in one day Dean Winchester felt like he'd been sucker punched in the gut…


End file.
